Jul 09 2008
Roosters Driving Me Crazy
This has been my first year raising chickens from chicks. As you may know from my previous posts, I had several chicks hatch out this year and now they close to maturity and the roosters are driving me crazy. I had to rescue Rooty my wimpy Aracauna Rooster last weak but now they have found a few other targets to abuse. The roosters will get one of the wimpier roosters and pin them down and just attack till they draw blood.
I decided yesterday to let them all run in the larger pen to see that will alleviate the problems. This has not helped and they are still attacking the weaker ones. Yesterday, I had to rescue Rooty again because they had him pinned under the block I use for the water container. Tonight I separated another wimp into his own cage.
I have decided it was time and Saturday I will be slaughtering at least four roosters for a chicken barbecue on Sunday. I am culling off the wimpier ones except my pet Rooty and I am culling at least one of the more aggressive ones. I am hoping that once the wimpier ones are gone, the other ones will at least fight back so they will settle down some. I will let you all know how it goes.
Anyone else every have the same problems with a group of roosters? Please share your experience.
I also have the problem of mean roosters. The little bantam Silver SeBrights we have are the most aggressive. It is a pitiful sight to see those little roosters pulling out hunks of feathers from roosters 3 times their size.
The poor Golden and Silver Polish roosters really get abused.
We will be thinning out roosters soon also. You can only have so many roosters and the mean ones will kill the others too.
Good luck on your barbecue.